Merry Christmas to U

Wishing each and everyone of you a very Merry Christmas aka Happy Christmas, and a very Healthy and Happy New Year in advance! Remember that Christmas is nothing without the Christ child - [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFc7STuQF0U]Temptations - Silent Night - YouTube[/ame]

A new Marist Poll of 1,026 adults nationwide finds that 64 percent &#8211; nearly two-thirds &#8211; think the appropriate greeting should be &#8220;Merry Christmas,&#8221; while 31 percent favored &#8220;Happy Holidays.&#8221; The sentiment was strongest in the Midwest (70 percent) -- but income level made no difference -- with the same level of support (64 percent) for those who made under $50,000 as those who made over $50,000 a year.

People 45 or older were much more likely (72 percent) to support &#8220;Merry Christmas,&#8221; but the gap narrows to just two percentage points (49 percent to 47 percent) among those under age 45. "That we prefer &#8216;Merry Christmas&#8217; by such a wide margin, is indicative of of the importance of Christmas has in the lives of the great majority of Americans,&#8221; said Knights of Columbus Supreme Knight Carl Anderson. The Marist Poll was conducted Nov. 8-10 by the Marist Institute of Public Opinion for the Knights of Columbus, and has a margin of error of +/- 3 percentage points.

The Marist findings are consistent with the findings of pollster George Gallup on this issue. The last time the Gallup Organization surveyed Americans on the use of "Merry Christmas" was back in 2005. At that time, 62 percent of Americans supported "Merry Christmas" -- and said that the use of "Happy Holidays" or "Season's Greetings" was &#8220;a change for the worse.&#8221; Only 24 percent considered it a change for the better.

U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree Pays Homage to Obama &#8212; But Not JesusDecember 19, 2011 - The 63-foot Sierra White Fir lighted at the U.S. Capitol Grounds on Dec. 6 as the official 2011 Capitol Christmas Tree includes a prominently displayed ornament paying homage to President Barack Obama, but includes no ornament readily visible to a person standing near the tree's base that uses the word &#8220;Christmas,&#8221; or includes an image of the Nativity, or bears the name or image of Jesus Christ.

On the north side of the tree--at a height of about 4 feet and easily visible to people standing near it---there is an ornament that says: &#8220;I &#9829; President Obama.&#8221; When asked whether the tree included any ornaments that mention or depict Christmas or the birth of Jesus, the office of the Architect of the Capitol, which is responsible for the tree, told CNSNews.com that it &#8220;does not have a policy nor any restrictions concerning the themes for the ornaments&#8221; that go on the tree. The office could not say, however, whether or not this year&#8217;s Christmas tree does in fact include even a single ornament that directly references or depicts Christmas or Christ.

The office of the Architect of the Capitol also did not directly respond to the question of whether any other elected official&#8212;in addition to President Obama&#8212;is mentioned on any ornament hung on the tree. &#8220;There may be ornaments like those you describe near the top of the tree, or they could have been obscured or moved due to wind or weather,&#8221; the architect&#8217;s office said in a written statement to CNSNews.com. Each year since 1964, Congress has been decorating a Christmas tree on the Capitol Grounds. Until 1968, the decorated tree was a live tree planted on the Grounds. Since then, the tree has been cut down&#8212;usually in a National Forest--and brought to the Capitol from somewhere in the United States. Since 1970, the U.S. Forest Service has been responsible for providing the tree.

Over the years, the Capitol Christmas Tree has come from an irregular rotation of states&#8212;including, not exclusively, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Minnesota, Vermont, and California. The state that sends the tree in any given year, according to the Architect of the Capitol, chooses the theme for the ornaments it will bear. People from that state create the ornaments and donate them to the government. This year&#8217;s tree came from the Stanislaus National Forest in Tuolumne County, Calif., which sits on the western slope of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, due East of San Francisco. The theme for this year&#8217;s ornaments was &#8220;California Shines.&#8221;

&#8220;Ornaments should be designed to reflect our theme &#8216;California Shines&#8217; by showing how the rich cultural and ecological diversity of this state make it shine,&#8221; says the tree&#8217;s official website, which was funded by corporate sponsors. &#8221;From the Pacific Ocean to the sparkling deserts, from the high mountain peaks to its forests, rivers and abundant Central Valley, the diversity of nature and the people who live here are what make the great state of California shine.&#8221; While the website said that all Californians were invited to submit ornaments, it put a special emphasis on getting students to participate. &#8220;We invite participation from all Californians,&#8221; said the website. &#8220;From individuals, artists, crafters, young and old alike, any and all are invited to create and send in an ornament.&#8221;

Remember that Christmas, like all holidays, is also a time for you to rest and pamper yourself; and it does not matter whether you are with people or by yourself. Relax and enjoy some moment of aloneness this wonderful Christmas Season!

Continue to rest and pamper yourself this Holiday Season. Forget not that holidays are an opportunity for you to recoup, not time to worry or sink in sadness. Thus, manage your time wisely and enjoy yourself!

When we were kids, the black Chuckles piece was my older brother's favorite.
But when I asked for it he always gave it to me. And it was always the one in the middle and he had to fish for it. A good sentimental memory.

Useful Searches

About USMessageBoard.com

USMessageBoard.com was founded in 2003 with the intent of allowing all voices to be heard. With a wildly diverse community from all sides of the political spectrum, USMessageBoard.com continues to build on that tradition. We welcome everyone despite political and/or religious beliefs, and we continue to encourage the right to free speech.

Come on in and join the discussion. Thank you for stopping by USMessageBoard.com!